Buddhism Science Meet held on His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Birthday at Drepung Loseling Monastic University

As in previous years, serene Mundgod Tibetan Refugee settlement woke up to overflowing jubilant atmosphere on 6th July to celebrate 71st birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Noble Peace Laureate (a true living icon) who epitomizes ‘Love and compassion’ and peaceful Tibetan struggle against Red Chinese brutal regime in Tibet. Foregoing all the formal official functions at camp # 3, Representative Head Quarter---Buddhism-Science Meet was organized by Drepung Loseling Monastic University, a great seat for intense advanced studies and practices of Buddhism which has the great distinction of producing so many great scholar-saints both in old Tibet and exile. In fact, this is 4th in the Buddhism-Science Meet series and 2nd held on this Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Birthday by the monastery to create awareness among our youngsters of Buddhism-Science comparativeness. The occasion was graced by Venerable Kyabje Ling Rinpoche (reincarnation of senior tutor to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama), the chief-Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Mundgod settlement, MPs Tibetan-Govt in exile, many other local dignitaries and great many senior monks of the monasteries. Among the audience were especially invited Dharwad college students, the senior students of Central School for Tibetan (Mundgod) monk-students of Loseling Monastic school, staffs and students of the science-class going on in the monastery and many other monks. In fact, the spacious venue failed to occupy the large congregation of enthusiasts. Initially, the Meet was to be from 2 pm to 5 pm, but it ran well beyond 6.30 pm as the audience were spellbound by interesting things unveiled through talks and question answers. Young Kyabje Ling Rinpoche urge especially the tender school-children to give importance to and study Buddhism which is very relevant and a necessity in this fast paced Computer Age--a practical science of Mind, not just a religion focusing on rituals and blind faiths. He reiterated that Science complemented by ‘Love and compassion’ is the order of the day. All the other speakers at the meet also echoed the same sentiment. Here it is worth mentioning that His Holiness the Dalai Lama, has been always open to logic and science from the very childhood itself. He time and again stressed that any tradition should stand the test of time and surge forward hand in hand with the galloping Science--Buddhism no exception. To dispel the hard-stuck motion that the scientific advancement is detrimental to Buddhism, his supreme guidance saw the fast confidence bridging between the two through great many seminars, conferences, student-exchange programmes and the on- going science classes at the three great monastic Universities of Drepung Sera and Gaden, where all lecturers are eminent scientific scholars from abroad. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is of the view that two should be more inclusive as there are so many plus points to share each other paving great avenues for the long-term welfare of the whole humanity. Indeed, Buddhism has a lot to offer on ‘Mental studies despite being very backward in regard to physical technologies. Also, Buddha’s doctrine roughly condensed, boils down to ‘Method and Wisdom or ‘Behavior and Ideology. Non-violence in method and ‘view of inter-dependant’ in Ideology has impressed even the famous scientific-genius Albeit Einstein to term Buddhism as the sole religion withstanding and going forth with scientific advancement. In fact, Buddha’s very own words are in very much in line with science as he explicitly revealed that “Do not accept my every word literally just because you have faith in me but observe, reason and verify it’s rationality just as one heat, cut and the rub the gold to test it is purity”. So, the 6th July Buddhism-science Meet was a small step by us towards this Holiness the Dalai Lama’s far-sighted supreme vision and also to rekindle our gratefulness to him both spiritually and otherwise. The meet was privileged to have two qualified Geshes (doctorates of Metaphysics) as the main speakers who had also participated in many  such seminars and long-term science-classes both in India and abroad. Geshe Lobsang Kunchok  has chosen a topic ‘comparative study of Buddhism and Science’s method, basis and result of the analysis in pursuit of the reality or truth. And it was followed by Geshe Damchoe Gyaltsen’s talk on the theory of Evolution by the two. It was really a very insightful event for both Science and Buddhist students to discover so much closeness between the two. During question hour mainly by school-students ---it was heartening to see the increase awareness of Buddhism among young Tibetans in particular. Their questions were really piercing and moving doubts bothering most of us. Though the two Geshes tried hard to dispel their moving doubts, a small gap still lingered as every finer aspects of Buddhism can not be explained that simply to a person without fair understanding of Buddhist concepts. The questions touched very many sensitive topics like the nature of ‘Mind’, evolution, validity of rituals etc. Also, as in other traditions confusing Buddhist concepts with myths, legends and fable seems pretty prevalent in our youngsters well indicated by the mode of their questions. All in all the Meet was a great boon to all gathered and well organized under the able supervision of the then Disciplinarian of the Loseling Monastery, Geshe Lobsang Samten and the Loseling Administrative office.